What: Thomas Cook Airbus A320 en route from Belfast to Tenerife
Where: Belfast
When: February 7, 2012
Who: 175 aboard
Why: After taking off from Belfast, the plane developed a technical problem (problems with the landing gear.) Pilots returned to Belfast. They circled for over an hour. While they were in the air, a police helicopter came up and inspected the plane.
The pilots dumped fuel before they made a safe landing.
Passengers interviewed about the event said they were terrified. Flight attendants advised them to brace themselves, take off their shoes and use the emergency exits.
Emergency services were on standby.
Belfast International Airport said that the airline planes to repair the plane and use it this afternoon to fly out passengers at 3:00 pm. The airport spoke highly of the efficiency and emergency management performed by the staff.
UTAir flight UT-247 had to return and make an emergency landing at Vnukovo International Airport, Russia, on February 12th.